I have been trying to re-think certain aspects of my church polity-- and have been trying to gain a greater understanding of the shape of polity within church history. I just ordered "Who Runs The Church?: 4 Views on Church Government, and I have been looking through some of the materials offered by Sovereign Grace Ministries. They are a network of churches and a church planting movement with which I share many passions and doctrinal distinctives. This afternoon, I spent some time reading their perspectives piece, entitled Polity: Serving and Leading the Local Church.
The paper is a carefully written introduction to an issue that the author, Dave Harvey, is quick to "refuse all impulses to canonize" (2). That is, Harvey states from the outset that a multiplicity of polities exists, and he is therefore merely presenting the position of his particular movement (Again, a good reason to check out the Zondervan Counterpoints treatment of the issue-- though even this will be limited in its' own rite).
The paper is essentially divided into three sections:
1. The Principle of Plurality Among Elders
2. The Principle of the Presiding Pastor
3. The Principle of Partnership with Apostolic Ministry
I appreciated the overall orientation this paper has toward church planting-- but especially in regards to the formation of a plurality of elders within the process of establishing a new church. Additionally, I enjoyed Harvey's description of relational dynamics within a plurality of elders; the role of the senior pastor within the team; and the fluctuating roles and responsibilities of 'apostolic' oversight (Harvey is also explicit in defining 'apostle' and the modern day role of apostolic leadership. I know many bristle at the use of this term, but it seems that all acknowledge some sort of over-arching leadership/counsel structure within the church-- especially within church planting movements. This paper provides, in my opinion, a well-crafted theological framework for present day apostolic authority that avoids idealism).
This is a point of my ecclesiology that I'm genuinely trying to (re)imagine. Therefore, I'm hoping that some sort of dialogue could be generated here. To that end, I have asked Mike Daling, who spends far more time conspiring to undermine my blog than he does writing his own, to offer some initial comments in response to this article.
You can download this paper for yourself directly from Sovereign Grace, or I have also hosted it here, in case the link goes dead or changes.
Comments